Anyone like visiting Edinburgh?

Are you going to be there during the Festival?
It's packed with tourists but ofcourse there's lots going on.
I love the Botanic gardens, the National Gallery, the gallery of modern art and the Kings gallery.
The Queens Hall for concerts. The lyceum theatre
You can't be bored in Edinburgh.
A bus trip to Portobello too (fish and chips on the prom) or a tramride to Leith would be fun.

A friend loved Camera Obscura & World of Illusions.

I typed a long detailed reply and the site ate it again.

Anyway: both modern art museums. Wander around Dean Village, then walk along the Water of Leith at least as far as Stockbridge, but preferably all the way to Leith. Have a teapot cocktail in the Roseleaf.

Agree about the Botanic Gardens.

National Portrait Gallery, not least for the frieze in the entrance hall.

Dr Neil’s Garden

Craigmillar Castle

The Scottish Parliament building

Cramond Island

Got for a walk in The Hermitage of Braid and Blackstock Hill.

Jupiter Artland (not strictly in Edinburgh, but close)

Walk across the Forth Road Bridge.

Hire a bike and explore some of the city on the surprisingly good bike path network. Get off and push if you stray onto a tram route!

Can’t believe I forgot the National Museum, which is genuinely amazing.

Siope

Can’t believe I forgot the National Museum, which is genuinely amazing.

Imo it’s the best museum I’ve ever been to, mainly because you can do the whole lot in one visit. We went to the one in Oxford a few years ago ( Hunterian?) and there was too much to take in. It’s worth going just to see the clock. I love the Modern Art gallery but it took me years to work out where it actually was. The zoo is great, too.

Another vote for the beautiful National Portrait Gallery

Walk up Calton Hill for stunning panoramic views

Edinburgh Bus Tours

The Mussel Inn Seafood Restaurant, Rose Street

I only ever passed through Edinburgh, but would love to have explored it.

The buildings are beautiful.

Well, I'm a bit biased, as I live just outside Edinburgh, but I do love the city. There's so much to see and do, even outwith the typical tourist attractions. The Museum is wonderful, but there's also the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, the Museum of Modern Art, Camera Obscura, Dynamic Earth, the Zoo, Arthur's Seat. Hop on a tram and go down to Leith or Newhaven for a wander around, pop down to the beach at Portobello. I could go on and on...

Only visited Edinburgh once (four nights)

Thoroughly enjoyed the walking tour, really good informative guide along with the Botanical Gardens.

Enjoyed the Castle and The Royal Yacht.

Really good food especially Kitchin’s in Leith.

Will return and visit the museums and more.

We went up there quite a few years ago and spent several days there but managed to pack in several visits.
The Castle, The Botanic Gardens and Dynamic Earth (a must do) and a tour bus round the city. Also a visit to the Royal Yacht Britannia.

Princes Street gardens are lovely to sit in and watch the world go by. I haven't been at the castle for a few years nor Dynamic Earth. I like sitting down near the Parliament building looking over to Arthur's Seat and Holyrood. A walk through The Meadows too is so nice. Lots of lovely restaurants. And Leith! I'm heading there in a couple of weeks to take in The Festival. Thank you for starting this thread.

We are off to Edinburgh next weekend for a few days. it's only an hour from Glasgow.
We were booked to go on the Aberdonian steam strain to Aberdeen and back, but unfortunately the trip has been cancelled. My favourite train journey is over the Forth Rail Bridge on a steam train.
We have already paid for accommodation, so we are going anyway.

DD and I often have a day out in Edinburgh. I love it.

I do, it’s one of my favourite cities. Friendly locals, lots to see and do - and we’ve always had lovely food there too. Sad to read that Jenners has closed though.

Last time we went to Edinburgh, we decided to investigate the darker side. E.g.we did guided tours of The Real Mary King’s Close.
We read about them on here.
edinburgh.org/blog/the-secrets-underneath-edinburghs-streets/

I live in Canada but come to visit my sister in Edinburgh regularly. The best part for me apart from all the previous mentioned attractions is that I can walk everywhere, its a wonderful city to walk around.When the feet get tired there is always a handy tram to hop on.

Mollygo

Last time we went to Edinburgh, we decided to investigate the darker side. E.g.we did guided tours of The Real Mary King’s Close.
We read about them on here.
edinburgh.org/blog/the-secrets-underneath-edinburghs-streets/

I think I’m the only person I know that didn’t find that interesting: I just couldn’t get a feel for the place. My daughter loves it.

Thankyou everyone, what I like is there's so much to do within a 20 minute walk of the station. I am thinking next time of going to see the Royal Yacht and the Ocean Terminal in Leith. Also the trams are supposed to be really good.
One thing I did find is the city isn't too expensive for luncgh and refreshments.

I live in Edinburgh. I just try to avoid all the usual tourist places because of, well, the tourists. The city centre with all the main attractions just blocks solidly with tourists and endless wheely cases. I suggest that people don't come over the summer. The autumn and early spring are best. The weather often bright and dry.
Not off the beaten track but invariably missed by tourists is Lauriston Castle.
By the way don't count on locals being particularly friendly. Our buses can be packed with tourists so locals can't get on and get to work. Airbnb has hollowed out the city centre so people who work there have to live outside it. All the problems faced by Barcelona, Amsterdam and Venice are found here.
Yes. I sound sour but I probably feel a bit like the locals on the various holiday islands who are unhappy about overtourism.

We visited nearly ten years ago. We caught the bus to the zoo and also did the tour buses along with a lot of walking. We stayed in Stockbridge.

My DD went to Edinburgh university so we used to visit a lot at one time.
It is a vibrant, historic city and understandably full of tourists so I understand people who live there must get heartily sick of tourists.

MayBee70

Mollygo

Last time we went to Edinburgh, we decided to investigate the darker side. E.g.we did guided tours of The Real Mary King’s Close.
We read about them on here.
edinburgh.org/blog/the-secrets-underneath-edinburghs-streets/

I think I’m the only person I know that didn’t find that interesting: I just couldn’t get a feel for the place. My daughter loves it.

There are so many good ghost walks in Edinburgh- wish I could remember some of their names.

The Mary King's close is just a tourist trap. Ask around for the ones that take you to the covenenters burial ground- fascinating history instead of silly made-up ghost stuff.

Well, I think Edinburgh locals are, generally speaking, pretty friendly folk! Yes, it does get a bit overwhelming during the height of the tourist season, especially during the Festival, but we're still a pretty welcoming bunch really! We don't bite, honest.

When I was teaching, we had activity days when we arranged certain activities for pupils. I organised a trip to Edinburgh. First the dungeons, then lunch in Princes Street gardens. After that, a ghost walk. The ghost walk was entirely made up by me. It started at the foot of the Scotsman Steps, then up to the Royal Mile, a pause at St Giles Cathedral than back to the park with stops in between where I made up ghost stories that supposedly happened there. One year I was engrossed in the story when I looked up to see a bunch of Japanese tourists had joined us 😂

The biggest problem according to one local inhabitant is Harry Potter, with tourists queueing to get into the stores and then wandering round dressed in costumes and taking endless photos. .
I haven’t been since the shops were opened in Edinburgh, but The Shop That Must Not Be Named in Chester is always busy.